Police: Phoenix area man killed wife over HIV fear

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — A man charged with killing his wife and adult son acknowledged fatally stabbing both, saying he feared he may have contracted the AIDS virus from prostitutes years earlier and given it to his wife, police said.

Eugene Maraventano, 63, told a detective that he stabbed his wife, Janet, with a 14-inch kitchen knife while she was asleep in their bedroom and then killed BryanMaraventano, 27, police said Monday in a probable cause statement filed in court.

Maraventanosaid he frequented prostitutes while working in New York and feared he might have given the virus to his wife, who recently had tests for cancer, which were negative, the statement said. The document didn't say whether eitherMaraventanoor his wife was positive for HIV.

Police saidMaraventanotold detectives he decided to kill his son, who was stabbed twice when he opened his bedroom door, because he didn't know how the son would cope without his parents.Maraventanosaid he thought the son was mentally disabled because he didn't have a girlfriend, couldn't get a job and played video games all day, the statement said.

Maraventanocalled 911 on Saturday to report the killings, which police said were committed Thursday.

In the meantime,Maraventanosaid he tried several times to kill himself but failed, police said.

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